Illuminative advertising apparatus



April 1, 1930. J.- D. HENDERSON 1,753,049

ILLUMINATIVE ADVERTISING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1926 3 Sheets-$heet 1 April 1, 1930. J. D. HENDERSON 1,753,049

ILLUMINAT IVE ADVERT I S ING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ap 1930. J. HENDERSON 1,753,049

ILLUMINATIVE ADVERTISING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 1, 1939 units areas are JncK nevInHEnDERson, or Lonnon, nirernnngnssienoa T Mo'vrne GOLOUR SIGNS LIMITED, or Lennon, ENGLAND, A Barrier: CQMZAHY ILLUMINATIVE ADVERTISING APPABATITS Application filed April 2, 1929, Serial No. 351,966, and in Great Britain June 26, 1928.

This invention relates to illuminative advertising apparatus of the kind now generally known as daylight signs, that is tosay those'in which light enters the apparatus from the exterior and is reflected therefrom by a mirror either before or after passing through a stencil at the top orthe front of the apparatus and has for its chief object to provide a daylight sign which will more readily attract attention than heretofore.

According to the invention there is provided improved means, attachable to or embodied with apparatus of the above stated kind, for repeatedly changing the colour of the external light as it enters or leaves the apparatus, the said means comprising a number of rotary colour changing devices in the form of strips or frames made of or provided with coloured transparent or translucent material capable of revolving (i. e., making one or more complete revolutions) simultaneously about transverse or longitudinal axes, and preferably so disposed as to virtually cover the entire area of the stencil.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan of a sign constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a'sectional View on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of parts shown in Figure 2 Figure 4: is a plan of a slightly modified form. A

Figure 5 is an elevation of a portion of a vehicle provided with a sign embodying the invention.

Figure 6 is a similar view illustrating a slightly different arrangement for actuating movable parts of the sign. V

In the example illustrated the rotary colour changing means is intended for use with a sign of the kind above stated mounted upon a motor vehicle, the said rotary means being in the form of a number of strips of coloured material carried by a number of parallel spindles 39 all arranged in the same plane and adapted to revolve in bearings formed in metal strips a secured to opposite walls of a frameb which is fixed above the stencil c on top of the sign having the inclined reflecting mirror 0. The spindles are provided near each of their ends with a disc p by means of which four of'the coloured strips 29? are supported radially in acruciform manher, the plane of each strip" containing the axis of'the aforesaid spindle. Each spindle p is provided at one end with a pulley wheel 79 and-a belt 9, which may be a spring belt, passes over all these pulleys preferably in the manner' indicated in Figure 2. One of the spindles p preferably that at one end of the frame 5 passes outside the frame and is connected by means of gearing to an electric motor 6 secured on the outer wall of the frame. Instead of an electric motor, I ma'y, as shown in Figure 5, actuate the spindles by a variable speed suction motor 8 connected by a pipe 8' with the induction pipe of the engine .9 of the vehicle 1' upon which the sign m is mounted.

Or, the rotary colour changing devices may be driven from a road wheel t of a vehicle '1" by a flexible drive t having a pinion 16 engaging a gear ton the road wheel t (Figure 6) or from the engine 8 by means of a flexible drive or in any other suitable manner.

The four strips 20 on each spindle p are of diflerent colours so that while the spindles are simultaneously rotated the colouring of the sign repeatedly changes. The arrangement illustratedin Figure 4 is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 except that the parallel rotary spindles p in the latter case extend longitudinally of the frame 6 instead of transversely thereto, as in Figures 1 and 2. In place of the radial coloured strips, I may employ radial frames provided 7 with coloured material, coloured celluloid or glass, for example, andany suitable number of them may be mounted oneach of the rotary spindles and not necessarily radial with respect thereto. or an arrangementof rotary prisms might be employed in substitution for the rotary strips or frames. In any case, I prefer, as aforesaid, that the rotary colour changing devices beso arranged as" to virtually cover the entire area of the stencil, as shown in the drawings.

A daylight sign having colour changing means in accordance with the invention may be used in any position in which existing signs of the kind referred to are used.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Fatcnt of the United States is 1. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through whicli'light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of rotatable spindles, strips of transparent coloured material supported on said spindles and arranged in the path of the light, and means for rotating said spindles to cause rotation of said strips so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

2. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of parallelrotatable spindles arranged in the path of the light, a supporting member carried near each end of each of said spindles, a plurality of strips of transparent 1 coloured material supported by and extending between the members on each of said spindles, and means for rotating said spindles to cause rotation of said strips so as to repeatedly change the colour of said 1 sign.

3. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of parallel rotatable spindles arranged transversely of the sign and in the path ot the light, a supporting member carried near each end of each of said spindles, a plurality of strips of transparent coloured material supported by and extending between the members on each of said spindles, and means for rotating said spindles to cause rotation of said strips so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

4. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of parallel rotatable spindles arranged longitudinally of the sign and in the path of the light, a supporting member carried near each end of each of said spindles, a plurality of strips of transparentcoloured material supported by and extending between the members on each of said spindles, and means for rotating said spindles to cause rotation of said strips so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign. a

5. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of rotatable spindles arranged in the path of the light, a supporting member carried near each end of each of said spindles, a plurality of strips of' transparent coloured material supported by. and extending between the memb'ers on'each of said spindles,

an endless band passing over all of said pulleys and means for rotating one of said spindles to cause rotation of the strips so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

6. An advertising sign for a vehicle consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of rotary colour changing devices arranged in the path of the light, and means. operable by the" movement of said vehicle for rotating said device so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

7 An advertising sign for a motor vehicle consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality of rotary colour changing devices arranged in the path of the light and means deriving its motion from the engine of said vehicle for rotating Said devices so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

8. An advertising sign consisting of a stencil through which light passes to illuminate it, means for reflecting the light, a plurality'of rotary colour changing devices arranged in the path of the lightand means for rotating said devices so as to repeatedly change the colour of said sign.

JACK DAVID HENDERSON. 

